Chelsea have been sent a warning over their striker’s target, Victor Osimhen, as the Blues have been linked with a move for the Napoli ace in the summer transfer window.
They have also been linked with several targets, including another top striker and a winger, after Jadon Sancho’s loan move from Manchester United was not made permanent.
Chelsea have already completed the signing of Liam Delap this summer, while wonderkids Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez are joining up with the squad after already sealing deals previously.
Delap’s arrival has certainly helped strengthen their depth in attack, with Nicolas Jackson forced to work largely on his own in the No.9 role across the last two seasons, only young striker Marc Guiu proving an option to rotate in occasionally.
However, there are still questions over whether Chelsea will be back in the market, once again, for a striker this summer. Jackson’s future is not exactly certain, with links to other Premier League clubs growing amid concerns following his second straight red card in recent matches.
While a couple of early baths are no reason to entirely discard a player, Jackson is still a young player, having just turned 24, and the arrival of Delap certainly adds an element of doubt to his future.
There have been links to some players across recent windows, with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike among those linked. But few have been mentioned as regularly as Nigerian star Victor Osimhen.
The 26-year-old has put in some fine numbers in recent years, proving himself one of the deadliest strikers in Europe as he led Napoli to their first Serie A title in decades, before a loan move last season helped bring the Turkish Super Lig title to Galatasaray.
However, Italian champions Napoli have put a high price on the 26-year-old for any club hoping to sign him. It’s been suggested that they want as much as €75million (£64.1million) for any non-Italian team to sign the striker, with the price rising for any sides in Serie A. Manchester United are another outfit who have been linked with a move, while Liverpool have also been mentioned in passing.
But according to the CIES Football Observatory, that’s not close to what would represent a fair price for the striker. Instead, he should be valued somewhere between €33million (£28.2million) and €49million (£41.1million).
A range of factors are involved in this valuation, but the major one among them is likely to be his contract situation as well as uncertainty around his future following his year on loan in Turkey. Osimhen is also likely to command high wages, meaning clubs may be less willing to part with a large transfer fee to sign him, especially if they could negotiate a loan deal as Galatasaray did last season.
Added to that, the striker only has two years remaining on his deal with Napoli after agreeing a one-year extension when signing his loan move last summer.
It serves as somewhat of a warning if Chelsea were to make a serious move this summer where they failed last year, with wages proving to be the eventual stumbling block. The Blues could be overpaying by as much as £35.9m if they agreed to match Napoli’s asking price for the striker.
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New striker is a priority for Chelsea
Chelsea needs to sign a new striker this summer if they really want to improve and elevate themselves, and it is most certainly their transfer priority right now.
They have needed a proper number 9 since Diego Costa left the club in 2017, so this summer they simply have to get one and they have to get the right one.
In terms of what Chelsea needs the most, Victor Osimhen is the closest player to that right now. And John Obi Mikel has been on the Osimhen prop again this week.
He said on The Obi One Podcast:
“We HAVE to get Victor Osimhen, it will be a disaster after everything we have been through between me, the club and him if he goes somewhere and wears another shirt. He has been on fire, the hunger he plays with, he is reliable, gets you goals and assists.
“Victor is tailor made for us, he supported us growing up, his idol is Drogba, how many times am I going to say this, he bleeds blue, he wants to play for us!
“It would literally be a phone call, a couple days and done, I have done all I can, it is now down to the club.”
Odion Ighalo makes Victor Osimhen admission amid links to Chelsea and Manchester United
Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo believes Napoli ace Victor Osimhen is one of the best centre-forwards in the world amid ongoing speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford.
Napoli are planning to sell the 26-year-old this summer after he returned from a successful season-long loan spell at Galatasaray. He joined the Turkish club last September after falling out with Napoli boss Antonio Conte and scored 37 goals in 41 games.
Galatasaray want to sign him permanently and recently informed him they would like him to make a decision on his future as quickly as possible.
The Nigerian’s goalscoring record over the last few years has been among the very best, meaning United would bank plenty of credit if they were to swoop for him this summer.
And in the opinion of former United striker Ighalo, his fellow countryman is one of the best in the business.
“For me, in the world today, you can’t mention two strikers without his name,” Ighalo told News Central TV. “It’s impossible. He’s doing so well.
“We underrate our own; that’s the problem in Africa. We underrate our own African players and potential, but if you want to search the world now for a proper goalscorer, tell me two or three, a true No.9, a centre forward and goalscorer.
“Search the world now for two or three, you’ll mention his name.”
As far as Osimhen’s future is concerned, Ighalo does not know where Osimhen’s next move will take him.
Ighalo added: “It’s not easy because agents are calling every day, people are talking, the media and all of that, but I think Victor is mentally strong, because he has gone through challenges in his life, even at his age, and he has overcome them.
“He knows what he wants. We were together two days ago, but we didn’t talk about football; we just had fun.
“I believe he knows what he wants; he’s a grown-up guy now, he’s worked hard to be where he is today, so he knows what he wants. If he calls me for my opinion, I will tell him, but whatever decision he makes, it’s a win-win for him.”